Siddle calls for stump mics to be turned off

Cricket365
July 12, 2017

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle has expressed sympathy for banned South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada and called for stump mics to be turned off.

Siddle feels bans like Rabada’s will rob the game of its competitive edge and raw emotion as players fear missing games.

Rabada was handed a one Test ban after gathering four demerits in a 24 month period, the ban was triggered by an incident on day one of the first Test between England and South Africa.

Ben Stokes was dismissed by Rabada who enjoyed the dismissal a little too much and his celebration, including an expletive, was broadcast internationally through Sky Sports feed.

ALSO READ: Rabada ‘heartbroken’ to miss Trent Bridge Test

Speaking on cricket.com.au’s the Unplayable podcast Siddle said: “It’s always the case that the TV company comes out afterwards and says ‘sorry, just a little mix-up and it shouldn’t have been heard’.

“A similar thing happened to Michael Clarke in the Ashes in 2013-14 having a go at Jimmy Anderson. At the end of the day the TV company comes out and just apologises.

“It has to be stopped … there’s a bit of emotion on the field, it’s just a bit of fun, it’s a tough contest out there and sometimes the emotion comes out.

“Sometimes it doesn’t sound great but it’s not meant (to cause) any harm to the person at the other end, it’s just a bit of anger or frustration.

“We’re going to miss one of the most exciting players in Test cricket at the moment, he’s going to miss a Test because of someone else’s mishap.”

The quick admitted that if all on-field swearing was punished in a similar way, not just incidents heard on the stump mics, there would have been a lot more suspensions.

He added: “If that had of been the case in the last five to ten years … probably myself and a few of my teammates would have missed a fair bit of cricket I would have thought.

“I was pretty lucky not a lot of stump mics were used by the TV companies in most of my career.”